Some of these videos came out in the summer, so this post should have went up in September. Oh well, better late than never. The DVD may be closer to the end than the beginning, but dudes are still out there grinding on them. Don’t be a YouTube bandit. Support local skate scenes and buy a physical video.
Stop Fakin’ Volume 2
In 2004, the trailer for Static II boasted a section of “Philly Survivors,” a reference to a city recently depleted of the world’s most famous skate spot. (The section would be re-named “The Philly Four” in the actual video.) Why Josh Stewart, or anyone with a grip of footage from Philly circa 2004 for that matter, didn’t edit a montage to Cher’s 1998 mega hit “Do You Believe in Life After Love” is beyond anyone’s wildest guess, but that is a topic for another day. If those Static II guys were “survivors,” Stop Fakin’ 2 is a peek into a thriving post-apocalyptic world. Using D.C. as a home base, a roster of mostly unknown dudes (and Jersey Dave) comb every inch of territory between New Jersey and Virginia, filling in the spaces with Pulaski Park and footage of Love’s pink remnants. None of its skaters file under notable northeastern stereotypes (thankfully not a whole lot of highwaters, cellar doors or 200 mile trips to the Courthouse Drop), and the music supervision is gumbo of everything, making it feel like an east coast version of last year’s exceptional Sk8Mafia video. Current college applicants who won’t get accepted to their top choice school in New York can take solace in Stop Fakin’ 2, as it is good enough to make them less bummed on having to move to D.C. or Philly, in turn saving their lives from being ruined by “the party.”